> The problem is that Verizon tried to rip me off ...
[...]
> When I checked other alternatives (e.g. Speakeasy or earthlink
> by Ravi's suggestion) I found that most of them are far more
> expensive for basically the same kind of service ...
They'll charge you more to rip you off?
I think you have a contradiction here:
- Verizon is "bad" because they tried to rip you off - All other providers are giving the same product
Resolve those two and I'm sure you can find something to your liking. Either: dealing with a better vendor can cost more; or get to like the taste of the low cost leader.
> I noticed that most home wi fi services are now encrypted to prevent
> others from using them. This benefits telecoms, as it limits free
> riding, but not users who have nothing to lose from other using their
> access.
Nothing to lose except bandwidth ...
Also: many people use wifi for "inside the firewall" services, so if you don't mind having your neighbors -- or anyone who parks in front of your house -- being able to freely poke at your machines, go right ahead. Maybe it's true that you "have nothing to lose" ... but not me.
Leave your front door open: locks only benefit land owners and cops.
/jordan